Food Design as a Strategy for the Global Community

The paper aims to identify the role of Design Culture in adopting food and gastronomic practices as strategic tools to enhance dialogues between different cultures. The research analyses the cases in which contemporary Design Culture adopts food as a possibility of social inclusion, understanding of the global flows of people, transformation techniques, and novel rituals. Food and food cycles can be interpreted as "language", as well as an opportunity to create circular business activities based on the rediscovery and on the strengthening of the links between territories and communities in a globalised scenario increasingly attentive to the experiences of fusion between cultures. Design culture can become a mediator, a facilitator and a promoter of solutions and models of integration between cultural components we commonly consider "strong" and "weak", "host" and "settled", "traditional" and "modern", "slow" and "fast", "typical" and "atopic". Thus an "open" scenario is outlined in which projects and researches oriented to the diffusion of more sustainable and "community centred" food cultures are renewed and take on new meanings. New cultures emerge which, while keeping their cultural roots, evolve into a transcultural society. The Design Culture is called to recognise and co-design these new “food acts” of the contemporary transcultural societies

Finite Element Analysis to Study Percutaneous Heart Valves

Communications engineering / telecommunication

The complex organic molecular content in the L1517B starless core

Recent observations of the pre-stellar core L1544 and the younger starless core L1498 have revealed that complex organic molecules (COMs) are enhanced in the gas phase toward their outer and intermediate-density shells. Our goal is to determine the level of chemical complexity toward the starless core L1517B, which seems younger than L1498, and compare it with the other two previously studied cores to see if there is a chemical evolution within the cores. We have carried out 3 mm high-sensitivity observations toward two positions in the L1517B starless core: the core's centre and the position where the methanol emission peaks (at a distance of $\sim$5000 au from the core's centre). Our observations reveal that a lower number of COMs and COM precursors are detected in L1517B with respect to L1498 and L1544, and also show lower abundances. Besides methanol, we only detected CH$_3$O, H$_2$CCO, CH$_3$CHO, CH$_3$CN, CH$_3$NC, HCCCN, and HCCNC. Their measured abundances are $\sim$3 times larger toward the methanol peak than toward the core's centre, mimicking the behaviour found toward the more evolved cores L1544 and L1498. We propose that the differences in the chemical complexity observed between the three studied starless cores are a consequence of their evolution, with L1517B being the less evolved one, followed by L1498 and L1544. Chemical complexity in these cores seems to increase over time, with N-bearing molecules forming first and O-bearing COMs forming at a later stage as a result of the catastrophic depletion of CO.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figure

Psychological adjustment and heart rate variability in ovarian cancer survivors

Introduction: Body image, posttraumatic growth, quality of life, coping, and social support are relevant concepts to ovarian cancer survivors. This study aimed to examine the associations among these concepts as well as their relationships with heart rate variability (HRV), which is an index of vagal tone. Methods: an exploratory and correlational study was conducted on 25 ovarian cancer survivors. We used self-report measures to assess psychological variables. HRV parameters recorded for this study were analyzed in the time domain and in the frequency domain. Spearman correlations were performed. Results: Positive attitude coping strategy was associated with psychological and physical distress related to problems of appearance (Rho = -.57, p < .01), emotional functioning (Rho = .53, p < .01), and global health (Rho = .47, p < .05). Problem solving coping strategy was correlated with a higher posttraumatic growth, namely greater personal strength (Rho = .44, p < .05) and better relationships with others (Rho = .40, p < .05). Seeking social support was associated with growth in relationships with others (Rho = .40, p < .05). Higher HRV parameters were associated with higher physical functioning (SDNN: Rho = .59, p < .01; RMSSD: Rho = .54; p < .01; pNN50: Rho = .56, p < .01; HF: Rho = .58, p < .01). The ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency power (LF/HF) was negatively associated with posttraumatic growth (i.e., personal strength: Rho = .51, p < .05; new possibilities: Rho = -.54, p < .01). Discussion: Positive attitude and problem solving coping strategies may facilitate psychological adjustment to ovarian cancer. The strong association between markers of vagal tone and physical functioning offers insights on the possible role of vagus nerve in ovarian cancer survivors. These findings should be further investigated by future studies with larger samples and longitudinal designs

Mnemonic Monitoring in Anosognosia for Memory Loss

Objective: Anosognosia, or unawareness, for memory loss has been proposed to underlie cognitive functions such as memory and executive function. However, there is an inconsistent association between these constructs. Recent studies have shown that compromise ongoing self-monitoring of one’s memory associates with anosognosia for memory loss. Yet to date it is unclear which memory monitoring mechanisms are impaired in these patients. In this study, we examined the extent to which temporal monitoring or orbitofrontal reality filtering (e.g., ability to monitor the temporal relevance of a memory) and source monitoring (e.g., the ability to distinguish which memories stem from internal as opposed to external sources) are associated with awareness of memory deficits. Methods: A total of 35 patients (M=69 years; M=14 years of education) with memory difficulties following a stroke were recruited from outpatient clinics. Patients were assessed with measures of self-awareness of memory difficulties, cognitive abilities and two experimental paradigms assessing source and temporal monitoring. Results and conclusion: Results showed that patients unaware of their memory difficulties were more likely to externalize the source of their memories. Specifically, those unaware of their deficits were more likely to assign an external source to memories that were internally produced (e.g., imagined). No differences were observed in relation to temporal monitoring between patients aware and unaware of their deficits. This study informs current theoretical models of self-awareness of memory loss. Future studies should attempt to replicate these findings and explore different memory monitoring mechanisms in relation to anosognosia for memory loss

Influence of Autochthonous Putative Probiotic Cultures on Microbiota, Lipid Components and Metabolome of Caciotta Cheese

The present study was undertaken to produce probiotic Caciotta cheeses from pasteurized ewes' milk by using different combinations of autochthonous microbial cultures, containing putative probiotic strains, and evaluate their influence on gross composition, lipid components, sensory properties and microbiological and metabolite profiles of the cheeses throughout ripening process. A control cheese was produced using commercial starter cultures. The hydrophilic molecular pools (mainly composed by amino acids, organic acids, and carbohydrates) were characterized by means of H-1 NMR spectroscopy, while the cholesterol, alpha-tocopherol and fatty acid composition by HPLC-DAD/ELSD techniques. Conventional culturing and a PCR-DGGE approach using total cheese DNA extracts were used to analyze cheese microbiota and monitor the presence and viability of starters and probiotic strains. Our findings showed no marked differences for gross composition, total lipids, total cholesterol, and fatty acid levels among all cheeses during ripening. Differently, the multivariate statistical analysis of NMR data highlighted significant variations in the cheese' profiles both in terms of maturation time and strains combination. The use of autochthonous cultures and adjunct probiotic strains did not adversely affect acceptability of the cheeses. Higher levels of lactobacilli (viability of 10(8)-10(9) cfu/g of cheese) were detected in cheeses made with the addition of probiotic autochthonous strains with respect to control cheese during the whole ripening period, suggesting the adequacy of Caciotta cheese as a carrier for probiotic bacteria delivery

Brand Design Strategy for Public Administration. An experimentation on Lazio Region’s Employment Centers in Italy

The paper deals with the theme of public services through the lens of Design and intends to report experiences and preliminary results of the research project aimed at the Employment Centers of the Lazio Region, which develops a Brand Design Strategy for the renewal of the service through an activity structured in distinct operational phases. In fact, the discipline of Design has the role of guiding a conscious structure of the brand in a systemic perspective, which, in addition to the visual identity, includes the service and spatial design, promoting accessibility, inclusiveness and usability. A case of methodological experimentation that aims to establish itself as a case of national best practice

Alteraciones en el ciclo biogeoquímico del zn en argiudoles vérticos con distinto uso del suelo

Un sitio considerado prístino y dos agrosistemas se tomaron como base para el estudio de las variaciones del Zn en suelo, capaces de afectar su ciclo biogeoquímico. Sobre Argiudoles vérticos desarrollados en la provincia de Entre Ríos, se diagramó la toma de muestras de suelo. El sistema de referencia fue un suelo prístino que se comparó con un agrosistema con rotación soja-maíz xon riego y otro con rotación maíz-soja en secano, para conocer el contenido de Zn total y Zn activo extraído con DTPA. L avariación de estas medidas se utilizó para calcular un flujo relatiuvo del elemento en los sistemas estudiados y ewstqablecer un índice relativo de estabiulidad. Se midió carbono oxidable, nitrógeno total, pH, CIC, catriones de cambio, CE. El suelo prístino, comparado con los utilizados para cosechas sucesivas de soja y maíz, mostró una diferenci significativa en la fertilidad química para casi todas las variables edáficas que se redujeron en más del 50 %. El Zn total varió entre 40 y 37 mg/kg, el extraíbole con DTPA pasó de casi 2 mg/kg en un sistema porístino a 0,4 mg/kg y 0,5 mg/kg en sistemas agrícolas. El flujo relativo del Zn fue de 25 para el sistema porístino y de 71 y 95 para os sistemas agrícolas. Se considera que esta realción está indicando una diferencia importante en cuanto a la estabiolidad del sistema. Estas diferencias confirman la hipótesis de alteración del ciclo y, sumadas al resto de las variaciones, con las responsables de la alteración de los ciclos biogeoquímicos, reguladores de la circulación de los elementos en la atmósfera.Fil: Ratto, Silvia Elisa. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Alvelo, Juan. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Cosentino, Diego. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Giuffre, Lidia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Conti, Marta Elvira. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Anoctamin 1 is Apically Expressed on Thyroid Follicular Cells and Contributes to ATP- and Calcium-Activated Iodide Efflux

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Anosognosia for prospective and retrospective memory deficits: assessment and theoretical considerations

Objective: Patients who suffer from memory loss following an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) may also suffer from anosognosia, or unawareness of their memory loss. How we define and measure anosognosia can have critical implications for its study and clinical assessment. Commonly used measures often lack standardization and reliability checks for responses. Moreover, these methods rely heavily on cognitive abilities (e.g., language abilities) that are often affected after brain injury. The aim of this study is to elucidate how to best conceptualize and detect anosognosia for memory loss by introducing a new method of assessment, the Visual-Analogue Test for Anosognosia for memory impairment (VATAmem). Methods: A total of 51 patients (M= 61 years; M= 13 years of education) with memory difficulties following ABI were recruited from outpatient clinics. A total of 73 informants were also recruited (M= 51 years old; M= 13 years of education). Both patients and informants evaluated the severity of patients’ everyday memory mistakes on the VATAmem, for prospective and retrospective memory deficits by using visual analogue scales, vignettes and check questions to ensure reliability. Results and conclusion: A total of 30% of the patients were deemed unaware of their memory deficits. Patients were less aware of their prospective (29%) than their retrospective memory difficulties (18%). The new method of assessment provided by the VATAmem reduced possible false positives and enhanced reliability. We conclude that careful consideration of methodology is a key step to interpreting anosognosia findings within a theoretical framewor